Notes from Seattle: Record Store Finds!
a selection of rare and not-so-rare Jazz
I spent last week in the Seattle area celebrating the wedding of some good friends and stopped in a record shop in Fremont — Jive time Records — since they advertised having a nice selection of Jazz albums. For a small shop, I was pretty surprised at the selection and ended up pulling a few picks from the crates and otherwise that I’d like to share, especially since some are a little bit deeper cuts.
Won’t be getting into a ton of detail on each one since there are six to go through, but it was just too good of a day not to share!
Bin Finds
The first few I found in the bins were quite cheap and in really nice condition (pretty much NM/EX grade media and VG+/NM sleeves), so they were really easy buys.
Vince Guaraldi - Jazz Impressions
Originally released in 1964, this is the first ‘compilation’ album from Guaraldi, thrown together from only two albums by Fantasy records. While this makes it a bit less desirable to collectors, it’s still a wonderful pickup for $15.00.
Lorez Alexandria with the Ramsey Lewis Trio - Early In the Morning
Recorded and originally released in 1960 on Argo, this is a nice set from this underrated and underappreciated vocalist. A wonderful mix of blues and jazz standards backed by the fabulous Ramsey Lewis trio. If you aren’t familiar with Lorez’s recordings, this album or my personal favorite — ‘Deep Roots’ — are good places to start.
The pressing I found was a Japanese re-issue in fabulous shape!
Fumio Itabashi - Wararase (contemporary We Want Sounds reissue)
A brand new copy of the recent reissue of this 1982 JJazz masterpiece for $20? Yes, please! For some context, original pressings typically run between $200-500! This solo piano album from Fumio Itabashi is quite a masterwork in setting the mood and engaging listeners without the need for a backing band. Recommend giving this whole album a listen.
While the first three tracks are covers and standards, the remainder of the album are original compositions that often lean toward spiritual jazz. Probably the most well-known composition here is ‘Watarase,’ which if you listen to a fair amount of japanese jazz you’ve likely seen covered many times by other musicians.
Other Finds
While I was happy just finding the ones above, when at the checkout I noticed an album on the wall that I had to ask about: Blues to East from the Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio!
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio - Blues to East
Released in 1978, this direct cutting version of this release is incredible and sounds superb. Hiroshi Murakami’s work on drums here is fabulous (especially on the opener) and really nicely recorded. This copy is almost as if someone just pulled off the shrink wrap.
I sing the praises of the Tsuyoshi Yamamoto trio enough, so I won’t waste anyone’s time again, but the video below is the entire album!
After chatting with the owner for a bit re: this album and various Three Blind Mice releases, he mentioned he *just* got two in on a trade earlier in the day if I wanted to check them out. Of course I said yes. Finding TBM pressings in the US is quite rare, even online, so I had to at least take a look. Turns out, they ended up being two albums I needed and in wonderful condition.
Kenji Mori Quartet - Firebird
This 1977 Jazz-Funk fusion album is a bit of an oddball from TBM, but quite a lot of fun. From the onset, Kenji’s fiery tenor playing is a joy to listen to, especially alongside the wonderful guitar playing from Kazumi Watanabe. On the second track, Kenji swaps to flute, delivering a nice take on the classic ‘A Time For Us.’ Firebird pt 1 & 2 launches into a sprawling funky jam session. A little bit of a deeper cut, but super solid for a jazz-funk fusion release from this era.
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio - Live at the Misty
Finally, and the gem of the day, this incredible 1974 live recording from the Tsuyoshi Yamamoto trio at the Misty in Tokyo. There really isn’t a whole lot to say about this one besides it being one my favorite live jazz albums — ever. Not just limited to JJazz, either! I was stunned when I got shown an original copy in such good condition. While this one was a little on the pricier side, I needed no convincing.
Give it a listen below!
When all is said and done, this may have been my best in-person record buying experience to date (though, whenever I get myself to Japan I am sure that will change, much to the dismay of my bank account).
What are some recent albums you’ve added to your collection? Let me know in the comments!
Wow, those Tsuyoshi Yamamoto finds are amazing! I was looking for his albums yesterday at my local record stores with no luck, I came away with Ryo Kawasaki’s Nature’s Revenge.